TEHRAN (Dispatches) – Iran’s highest-ranking military commander has highlighted the leading role that the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps plays in foiling hostile plots, saying the IRGC has made the Zionist regime worry about its survival instead of pursuing the dream of Nile to Euphrates dominance.In comments at a ceremony in Tehran, held to inaugurate Major General Hossein Salami as the new commander of the IRGC, Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Hossein Baqeri hailed the IRGC for stabilizing and promoting the Islamic Republic’s deterrent power at a time of heightened US threats.Highlighting the IRGC’s "stellar record”, the commander said the IRGC has enhanced its capabilities, shaped the axis of resistance, and forced the Israeli regime to worry about its survival rather than pursuing the dream of gaining control over the lands from the Nile to the Euphrates."It is natural for the U.S. to be angry at the IRGC and vent its utmost anger by declaring the IRGC terrorist,” the commander said, adding that the U.S. itself is the financial and arms sponsor of terrorists.Downplaying Washington’s plan to drive the export of Iranian oil down to zero, Major General Baqeri said Iran has gained such power over the past forty years that "it can stand on its own feet with any amount of oil sales.”He went on to say that the new IRGC commander’s tenure is simultaneous with the US government’s anger and a new round of plots and sanctions against Tehran, stressing that Major General Salami’s term will definitely mark the defeat of enemies.The incoming IRGC chief also took the podium to highlight Iran’s growing power, saying the IRGC Quds Force has managed to end the US hegemony in eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea.On Monday, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei appointed General Salami as the new commander of the IRGC after promoting him to the rank of major general.

Chairman of Chiefs of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Hossein Baqeri